Opportunities
ICT broadens access
ICT offers new possibilities for providing access to educational resources and courses for large numbers of learners and isolated communities. ICT provides economies of scale, multiple channels of communication, visualisation and simulation, and they are a powerful means for the exchange, processing and storage of information. ICT also contributes to student retention and motivation. ICT has a direct impact on increasing access and lowering drop-out because parents perceive ICT as increasing the likelihood of children securing jobs in the future.
ICT builds new skills
ICT contributes to the development of important knowledge economy new millennium skills such as critical thinking, information retrieval, analytical capacity, problem solving, communication and ability to understand and utilise new media.
ICT improves quality
ICT can be used to improve the quality of education by supporting teacher professional development, improving access to quality educational materials, promoting inclusive education and enhancing the effectiveness of educational management.
- ICT can provide access to distance education courses for teachers in on-going in-service, to train new teachers and to provide on-going pedagogical support
- ICT can provide access to the latest and most up-to-date teaching and learning resources with a greater immediacy than previously possible
- ICT can be leveraged as Assistive Technologies (AT) to assist those with disabilities to perform at their highest potential
- ICT can contribute to the improved efficiency of school and education sector administration and management by providing decision makers with critical and timely information
- ICT improves efficiency and transparency of educational management